Andrew of St Paul's

Andrew of St Paul's, archimandrite and former abbot of Saint Paul's Monastery on Athos, was born in 1904 in the village of Angon on Kefalonia, with the secular name Angelos Evangelatos. His father, Gregory, was a policeman and in old age became a monk at Saint Paul's. Andrew came to the monastery in 1934, was tonsured in 1935 and ordained deacon at the feast of the Presentation, then priest at the feast of Saint Paul of Xeropotamou. In 1944 he was elected superior and in 1960 abbot.

His successor, Archimandrite Parthenios, describes him as an active, resolute man, zealous for good works, who led with love and understanding. For a time he withdrew to Saint Basil's Skete under the obedience of Elder Gerasimos Menagias (d. 1957), and afterwards served the monastery as priest and steward for twenty-⁠two years. He had a special devotion to the Mother of God.

In November 1976, withdrawn at the dependency of Monoxylitis, he went down to the shore to gather wood thrown up by a storm, and on a rock he met a woman in black writing in a book. She told him she was writing in three books: the names of those who come to this place, of those who leave, and, in the book of life, of those who remain here to the end. Only in the evening, at the Akathist, did he understand whom he had met, and he ran back, but found only a fragrance. At another time, in 1975, Saint Nicholas appeared to him in the form of an elderly priest from Cyprus; afterwards Andrew felt peace and understood that he should not leave his monastery to join the zealots of Esphigmenou, who were urging him to do so.

He reposed on 2 February 1987, the Presentation of the Lord and the feast of the monastery, seated, calm and at peace. According to tradition, Saint Sophrony of Essex was miraculously present at his funeral. He is buried in the cemetery of Saint Paul's Monastery. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.